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Hands on Nashville to limit tornado relief volunteers amid COVID-19 outbreak

Posted at 1:26 PM, Mar 17, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-17 20:27:43-04

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Hands on Nashville is limiting the number of volunteers for tornado relief efforts as the COVID-19 outbreak continues.

The organization said Tuesday that they’re limiting the number of volunteers in each group to 10 for the next 15 days. At that point, they will reevaluate if that needs to be extended.

Projects will only focus on urgent food and shelter needs.

HON asked that volunteers who feel unwell to rest at home instead of attending projects. They also said they’re working on identifying ways volunteers can help remotely.

Downtown businesses were forced to close their doors just after a city mandate required bars to stop operations amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

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What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)

According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.

What are the symptoms?

The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of the following symptoms:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Repeated shaking with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell

At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.

Prevention

The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.